Disclaimer: I still don't own it

This is the revised version of the seventh chapter. After looking it over, I decided that I needed to make it flow a little bit better, so I decided to revise this before moving on. Expect Chapter Eight in a few days!

Kakashi had never felt worse in his life. Two days after his forest training with Orochimaru, and he couldn't shake the nasty feeling that followed him. He was perpetually cold, and his stomach kept jerking in unpleasant ways. In his "teacher"'s absence he had thought that he would be able to train a little bit without the constant pressure of Orochimaru, but something in him told him it was a lost cause. On today of all days, too, when the next Hokage would be announced and put in office…

"I think I'm going to be sick…"

Maito Gai, taijutsu expert and Kakashi's "rival", looked at him in absolute shock.

"What, Kakashi, losing your touch already?"

Kakashi glared at him through his one uncovered eye. "Don't be an ass, Gai. I'm not in the mood to play these games today." His stomach twisted again, uncomfortably, and he doubled over in pain.

"What's the matter with you?" Gai asked, bending down to support his friend. "You look positively awful. Look, your skin's all clammy."

Kakashi shook his head. "I'll be fine, Gai."

"Liar. What's going on?"

Kakashi sighed. "I got bit by a snake a few days ago. One of Orochimaru's summonings."

"Kakashi! That's bad! Don't you know anything?" At the blank look on Kakashi's face, Gai continued. "Those snakes have some sort of poison in them…"

"No kidding..." Kakashi growled, but Gai talked over him.

"…and if you don't get it out in time…you die."

Kakashi gaped at him. "But…Orochimaru-sensei said it wouldn't kill me…"

"Oh, and you believed him? Come on, stand up. Let's get you to a medic."

They made their way as quickly as possible through the crowded streets of Konoha, Gai half-carrying Kakashi. He could have moved him faster, jumping across the rooftops as they did in the trees on missions, but he was afraid of the effect that would have on his friend. He was afraid he would only make things worse.

"Gai! Kakashi!"

It was Arashi, waving them down, smile bright in the sun.

"Have you heard the good news? The Hokage announced his successor…"

"Arashi-sensei!" Gai called. "Kakashi's in trouble! He's been poisoned! Is Rin with you? He needs treatment right away!"

Through the fog in his brain Kakashi heard the name "Rin" and grew inexplicably afraid, though he was hard-pressed to explain why. It was one of those feelings he got, the kind that told him something was going to go very wrong, a feeling that had no basis in any sort of reality, but had always proved to be right.

"Well, that's what I was coming to talk to you guys about," said Arashi, moving towards them. "You wouldn't know where she is, would you? Because nobody's seen Rin in three days!"

That night…

Orochimaru sighed, setting aside his tools and rubbing his temples. Yet another failure in his quest for immortality. He looked down at the butchered body of the Konoha jounin and smiled ruefully.

"Well, my friend. Looks like you aren't strong enough to cut it."

"Talking to yourself again?"

It was Sasori. He leaned against the open doorway, surveying the room of corpses with his doll's eyes, taking note of everything.

"Out of idle curiousity, what are you doing here?" Orochimaru snapped, a bit harsher than he would have liked.

"Don't be angry," said Sasori smoothly. Inwardly Orochimaru shuddered; Sasori's voice sounded like poison to him, like the spider calling flies to its web. "I've come to ask you if you've considered the leader's offer."

"I have," Orochimaru replied. "And I am hesitant about accepting."

Sasori smiled. "Now, that is interesting. Shall I tell you something even more interesting?"

"If you wish."

"It won't be long before they're on to you. So if I were you, I would finish up what I'm doing very fast and leave, before they catch you."

"I'm afraid I can't possibly do that." Orochimaru smiled wickedly. "Come with me. I'll show you why."

Sasori cocked an eyebrow but followed him quietly, his footfalls making no sound on the rough stone floor. Orochimaru paused for a moment, studying him, and then reached out to open a door directly to the left of Sasori, hidden in the wall.

"The other experiment is really no matter—it's all about finding the right container, and I think I've done that. However, this experiment I cannot simply abandon."

The room was white, all of it, filled with children of varying degrees of age, hooked up to machines and tubes, all of them unconscious. Sasori paused over one, a girl of about twelve, with triangle markings on her cheek.

"Gene-splicing," said Orochimaru simply.

Sasori smiled. "You are going to be in a very great deal of trouble when they find out, Orochimaru."

He shrugged. "I'm not too worried. Being the Hokage's golden boy has its advantages.

"And yet he elected somebody besides you to be the Fourth?"

Orochimaru froze. "What?"

Sasori laughed. "They're celebrating in the streets, Orochimaru, for the next Hokage. And it isn't you."

He pushed past Orochimaru, black cloak billowing behind him.

"One more thing," he called over his shoulder. "That boy that you're training survived your injection. So now you've got your container, yes?"

Orochimaru didn't hear him. He slumped against the wall, alone in the shadows, contemplating what was his latest and greatest failure yet—the failure to become the next Hokage.

"Hey, Kakashi!" Gai laughed. "You're all right!"

In the confusion of the day he had forgotten that tonight was the night the Hokage announced his successor, but Kakashi was glad it was his teacher. He couldn't think of a better candidate, a more wise and brilliant leader. He was glad to be out of the hospital, too. They had been unable to detect any poison in his body and, with a lack of the symptoms that had previously ailed him, had decided to let him go.

"Yeah," Kakashi replied, making room on the bench for Gai. "I was fine by the time we got to the hospital. They said there wasn't any poison left in me."

Gai smiled. "Well, that's good! Come and party then! Kurenai and Asuma are waiting for us."

"Alright, alright." Kakashi pushed him away. "Give me a minute, would you?"

"OK, but hurry up!"

Gai dashed off, back into the crowds, leaving Kakashi alone on his bench. He stared up at the stars for a minute, feeling suddenly the weight of the isolation he carried all by himself.

"Rin," he whispered. "Where the hell are you?"

In Orochimaru's laboratory, the girl Sasori had stood over, the girl with triangle markings on her cheeks, breathed one last heavy sigh as her heart stopped.

New chapter soon! Things will really get cooking! I promise! There'll be drama, action, betrayal! Even...death!

Can't wait, can you?